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The young Gerudo man sat cross-legged at the top of the stone archway just yards away from the entrance to the Spirit Temple. He was deep in meditation and nothing appeared to disturb him, not the howling wind blowing through his cropped red hair, or the blazing sun beating on his dark olive skin, a trait unique to him as the lone male Gerudo. As the lone male Gerudo, he was deemed a miracle at birth; it had been exactly a century since another male Gerudo had been born. Ganondorf Dragmire was set to be crowned King of the Gerudo tomorrow at dawn.
Ganondorf had been preparing for this day since he was a young boy, training under the tutelage of Koume and Kotake, the twin sisters who were practically his mothers. The identity of his biological mother was shrouded in mystery, much to his dismay. Why she had never been revered among the Gerudo as a queen was beyond Ganondorf; she had given birth to the future heir of the Gerudo’s throne, and her history lay forgotten? It was absurd.
Koume and Kotake explained to him that she had died while giving birth to him, but Ganondorf still doubted that tale.
But it was all the young man had of his past. No record existed of his mother anywhere. He had come to terms with that fact a long while ago.
Nowadays, he set his sights on the prosperous kingdom of Hyrule. Koume and Kotake had told him the legend of the Triforce, a mystical artifact that the three golden goddesses had left on this earth after creating all life upon it. It was a powerful, sacred object that held infinite possibilities. Possibilities that could change the course of Gerudian history forever. And Ganondorf was just the person to take that chance.
At twenty-one years old, he was full of ambition, a desire to see his people rise above their status as the “desert dwellers,” as the Hylians called them. He wanted to find this Triforce and use its powers to have dominion over the entire kingdom of Hyrule.
Ganondorf had done his research; he knew of the other tribes in Hyrule, the mountainous Gorons, the aquatic Zoras, and the woodland Kokiri. The latter were a mysterious group indeed, being immortal children, but that didn’t matter to the Gerudo. He would rule them all. And he knew exactly how he would find his way into Hylian society. Unrest dwelled between the races of Hyrule, and war was stirring, Ganondorf could tell. If he could manage to win the favor of the Hylian king, that could lead him to the Triforce. While not knowing for certain who would emerge victorious at this time, Ganondorf was willing to bet his rupees that it would be the Hylian army; the Gorons were at heart a peaceful tribe; the Zoras excelled in the healing arts and were not warriors; and the Kokiri were unconcerned with the events outside of their forest sanctuary. The Gerudo warrior women, while exceptionally skilled in warmanship, could not stand against the might and organization of the Hylian army.
Ganondorf would lead his Gerudian warriors to battle when the time came, and when the Hylians emerged victorious, he would swear fealty to the king. And he would hide right under their noses.
~~~
Three years passed, and just as the King of Thieves predicted, war broke out in the kingdom of Hyrule. The Gorons had militarized enough to put up a good fight for a few battles, and the Zoras turned out to be not only skilled healers, but formidable soldiers as well. The Gerudo, however, under the young king’s leadership, had defeated both the Gorons and Zoras in most if not all the battles. Ganondorf was careful to keep his loyalty to the Hylian king and his efforts paid off. After four years of war, the Hylians claimed victory over the entire land of Hyrule.
Ganondorf, now twenty-eight years old, had to be patient. The King of all Hyrule had his work cut out for him in drafting peace treaties and paying visits to each of the tribe’s leaders. The Kokiri merely retreated further back into their forest home, going beyond the enchanted Lost Woods, so the Hylian king had little choice but to allow them their independence. Ganondorf assured his people that he would guarantee their place in Hyrule’s court, and from there he would make his mark, beginning his search for the Triforce.
Three more years passed, and King Daphnes Nohansen of Hyrule invited Ganondorf himself to Hyrule Castle to swear loyalty to him. Ganondorf was beyond pleased with how this had played right into his plans. The invitation to the castle was written very formally, and required his presence there in just a fortnight. Ganondorf immediately summoned his top leaders and followers, made travel arrangements, and set off the following morning.
The trek to Hyrule’s capital Castle Town was uneventful, but as the band of Gerudo drew closer, Ganondorf’s desire to claim all he saw for his own became nearly unquenchable.
I will rule this land soon enough, he thought to himself as he rode his great Gerudian stallion into Castle Town’s market. His black eyes scanned every inch of the bustling marketplace. Then this world will know true power and a rightful king. And my people will no longer be the “desert dwellers.”
The group made their way to the castle where they were greeted by Hylian Royal Guards. They escorted the emissary to their chambers and then the Gerudo were left to their own devices; the king was attending his small council meeting for affairs of state, and would see Ganondorf as soon as that concluded.
Ganondorf instructed his guards to remain in their quarters while he planned to explore the castle independently. He was an invited guest of the king and would not raise suspicion if staff were to see him about the castle. Now would be a good opportunity to learn more about the Triforce and the Sacred Realm; he had read and researched so much during the war, but he was certain he would find more here in the heart of the kingdom. The Royal Family were tasked with protecting the sacred relic by the goddesses themselves.
Ganondorf hadn’t gone far when he discovered a pathway leading outside to an inner garden of the castle. He heard hushed, soft voices, including a young female voice. He rounded a corner and Princess Zelda herself stood at the opposite end of the garden, next to a window. She was speaking to a boy clad in green with a wooden shield at his back; a white fairy floated by his head.
Ganondorf had heard years ago that the queen had delivered a daughter for the king. Unfortunately, she had also died in the labor of childbirth and left the infant princess alone with her father. She appeared to be around nine or ten years old, born right as the Hyrulean Civil War had ended.
The princess stopped talking to her friend at the sound of his heavy, armored boots crunching on the grass.
“Sir Ganondorf,” she said with a much more authoritative voice than her young years presented. “This is my private garden, and you are not permitted in this space. Please leave.”
“Greetings, your royal highness, Princess Zelda,” Ganondorf said softly. He swept his right hand over his heart and bowed his head before continuing. “I am waiting for an audience with your father, his majesty. I apologize for intruding upon your personal garden.”
The young princess did not look impressed. The boy, however, held his gaze silently and his lips were tightly closed. The boy’s eyes were steady and he showed almost no anxiety at his presence.
Ganondorf cleared his throat and continued to place his calm smile on his face. “Cementing peace between our peoples is an honor, your highness. This land is truly beautiful, as are you, Princess.”
“Save your flattery, Lord Ganondorf,” Zelda returned harshly. “Now please go.”
“Of course, Princess,” the Gerudo replied, bowing at the waist again. He took a few steps back, but then a thought struck him. “They say that the Royal Family is entrusted with the Ocarina of Time, namely that the princess of each generation is charged with keeping it. I wonder, do you know anything about that, your highness?”
“I know nothing about an ocarina,” she replied impatiently. “Now leave this place at once before I call the Royal Guard.”
“As you wish, Princess,” Ganondorf bowed once more and then turned on his heel.
He chanced a look at the boy one last time and met the child’s intense eyes. There was something about that boy, he knew it, but why would a princess of Hyrule associate with commoners? Still, the Gerudo king could not deny that he felt a strong connection to that boy; perhaps Ganondorf would have to keep an eye closer on him.
After all, he had learned long ago not to discount the seemingly insignificant. That boy could be the key to everything.